Those Who Are Called: Path of the Paladin
by Insanity's Prophet
Summary: Given the semblance of The Gamer, Jaune treads a new path from his previous life. Follow Jaune and Co. as he follows the path of The Paladin. The road is long and weary for those who travel it; by my hand, they shall be restored. Forces of darkness are lurking in the shadows, but the light shall bring them forth for judgment. RWBY / The Gamer crossover.
1. 0

In a flash of painful light, my world forever changed.

Usually, with these types of explosions, the blinding light and deafening noise fade over time. The human body adapts to the new surroundings to the best of its abilities. Most wounds heal.

This one, this piercing ray of pure white light remained as everything else faded from view. Moments passed, minutes might have well been several hours; I couldn't tell you how long if I tried to. It is the sole remaining gap of unexplainable information from my previous life that I still have no answers to.

After some indescribable amount of time, what I can only describe as a player scoreboard appeared before me. It was massive compared to my scope of view, maybe nine feet tall by twelve feet wide; and after but a moment more, many of what I can only assume to be my previous life's achievements began to toll on the screen.

 _PLAYER IDENTITY: Jaune Arc_

 _CLASS: Paladin_

 _TITLE: Carefree Idiot Savant_

Below this title card, my life was laid before me in harsh numbers and precise measurements. One hundred points for being born with no complications, twenty points being the lovable idiot, two thousand points for surviving my childhood with seven older sisters. The list went on and on, and in scarier detail, than I particularly enjoyed.

"Ten thousand points for dying a virgin?!" Who wrote this?! Also, whoever _had_ written it had access to a fantastic amount of _very private_ data, going all the way down to how many times I neglected to brush my teeth. More and more information scrolled across the screen in lazy form, and I was becoming very uncomfortable with the amount of detail it was displaying.

"You will find," a new voice, soft and feminine, echoed into the void around me. My head swiveled in such a way that I am genuinely surprised that my neck didn't snap. The figure before me was mostly non-descript. An androgynous human looking person stepped away from the nothing behind them. Their form faded into view swiftly after gaining a basic outline. A moment passed before they spoke again, "You will find that it is quite a bit simpler to resurrect a _completely_ pure soul, Mr. Arc." A wry smile graced their soft pink lips, the smile beaming from a smooth face with green eyes and chestnut brown hair. "And keeping up with your dental hygiene is important as well."

As they approached me, they fixed the connections on a smooth copper breast pin that read "#1 Dad" before holding out a firm looking handshake. "Also, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Years of formal politeness training with the three eldest sisters kicked into high gear as I professionally took up the strangers hand and gave it a firm, but not too firm shake. "Jaune Arc, a pleasure to meet you as well. And who, may I ask, are you?"

The person dropped the handshake after a few more moments and cleared their throat. "Well, over the years I have been known by many names. The Originator, The Alpha, God, Christ, Buddha, Brahma, etc. etc. Quite frankly they are all just titles the masses have assigned me, or that I gave for them. For now, you may call me curious, as you are not supposed to be here."

My eyebrows rocketed high to my forehead as I recognized at least one of those names. The eerie nothingness of it all began to set in, a gasp escaping my throat as the realization hit.

"Wait, am I dead? Is this limbo?!" My voice may have cracked with these questions, my thought process derailed by the small stone named 'Death.' I had so much that I still needed to accomplish back wherever I ... wherever I ... ... where was I from?

My brain went into overdrive as I attempted to recall just _who I was._

And it came up astonishingly short. I could look at the scoreboard in front of me, as it referenced a few names or places that I vaguely remembered. But I couldn't remember my parents' names, or if I had any or any family at all. I could recall remembering them just a moment ago, but all of those memories vanished from my mind.

I must have gone out of it for a moment, as the figure in front of me was asleep in a white wicker armchair with a snot bubble expanding and contracting from their left nostril.

My patience was wearing thin, I asked the obvious question on my mind, "Why can't I remember who I was, or am? That is important, right?" My statement became a genuine question at the end, as I could _feel_ the sense of morality, social constructs and meanings begin to fade away from me.

The person now awoke from their power nap, as they rose from their chair.

"That would be the fault of where we currently are, I am afraid. We are standing in the pure light of creation." Their chest puffed out a small fracture as they took a deep inhale, " _'And God said, let there be light!_ ' And all that. This place," they said gesturing around them, "is the capital 'L' Light. No being, and indeed not even I can stand its glow for long and remain whole."

The person standing mere feet across from me said this with a very nonchalant attitude despite the context of the meaning. "And if you are curious about it, there is more of me then you to purify and transform than you. I can stay here longer and feel less of the effects."

That made sense we guess. We had wondered about these kinds of ideas before the now. Now we had a better understanding.

"Look, you are already losing your sense of self, and if you are already _that far gone_ then this process will be more difficult the longer we wait here. Let's cut to the chase shall we?"

We nodded.

"Great. The fact of the matter is, you died. Now given, it was way before your selected time, but here you are." The person stared up at the scoreboard across from me. "Thankfully, you did just enough in your otherwise boring life to earn an additional try." They pointed to the scoreboard where my total calculated score was one hundred thousand _and three_. The highlighted number was blinking, and small images of 'You win' and 'Congratulations' were flashing alongside it.

"I can use these 'Experience Points' and for the most part reforge your soul to its original state with ... well, a few catches." At this point, the being across from us held three fingers up.

"One, you won't be the same. The best example I have here is when a rose blooms. I can't force the petals back into the same configuration without tearing or removing some parts. While you will still be Jaune, you may be Jaune plus or even less of the person you once were; your mileage on this may vary."

The figure paced back and forth as their hair and eyes began to lose color.

"Two, you will remember your time here and of the concepts of dimensions and realities outside your own. While The Light will happily assimilate your energies, I can't directly alter your memories as that would be considered affecting Free Will; a big no-no in my circles."

We began to realize that it was not the figure that was losing color. The Light had entirely purified our body. It was comforting in the same way that losing consciousness made life's pains go away.

"Finally I need _You_ to agree to this." and as the figure _spoke_ , my form returned whole. My body regained physicality as they reached out and _touched_ me; the actions made more by their will. "I understand that all of this is confusing, but trust me when I say that this is a good deal."

As the realization of the offer hit me, I saw that the person in front of me looked to be in physical pain. "I am guarding you against The Light for the moment, but please do hurry. I need you to stand on your own in the Light and declare that quote; you accept my offer."

It took me a moment.

And a moment more.

But I nodded, and God's or whoever's hand fell from my shoulder. I was back in The Light as it bore into my existence and my physical form disintegrated immediately. The consciousness of being was all that remained, and in those quick moments, I was finally at peace with myself.

But dammit I have work to do, and I am not going to let a second chance pass by me.

I screamed into the heavens, a laugh escaping my lips soon afterward as I realized that I was crying into _the actual Heavens_.

"I Accept your Offer!"

And the world blanked into white once more. This void held more comfort in it, and as the last dregs of consciousness left me, I heard a simple whisper in the nothingness:

" _Sleep well my child, as when you awake the world will not be as you knew it."_ A chuckle followed. " _I will leave you a parting gift, a new addition to your soul that you may find useful."_ With that said, the pure white light faded to black and consciousness soon left me.

*...*...*...*

Growing up as what many would consider being the punching bag of my three youngest sisters lead me to be well acquainted with the crisp smell of antiseptic. I would often find myself forced into long sessions of torture that my parents occasionally called training. These sessions usually ended with me in the hospital, or at least covered with bandages of various shapes and sizes.

My familiarity with the smell leads me back to the present, where that horrible stench permeated the entire room around me. The next thing I noticed was the gentle hum of the heart rate monitor beside me.

"Sharp, bright light, painful IV, and annoying monitors... great, I'm back in the hospital." I had yet to open my eyes, but even still the light filtered through with a bright red tint.

"Ugh, what hit me." And it was at this time that I elected to crack my tired eyelids open and take a look around.

I really shouldn't have.

The second my pupils touched light the migraine-like headache I was only now acknowledging reared its head like an angry bull.

"Dust, would someone _please_ turn the lights down." my voice was dry and cracked under the new load. I sputtered and coughed for a moment, painful stabs of pure agony spiking along my chest and spine. A moment passed, and my coughing fit settled down. I blinked, once, twice ... _three times_ before I noticed that the lights in my room were off.

No, it wasn't the lights, it was a ... notification box? It was hovering no more than three feet from my face and would track my eye movement as I looked around; always staying near dead center. It took me a moment to read what it said, as whatever was there was written in white lettering with a pale light blue background.

 **[** _ **Alert!**_ _Through a series of special actions, The Gamer Semblance has been activated!_ **]**

As I read through the sentence, my peripheral vision noticed a circle in the top right-hand corner began to fill in a circular pattern. Its size was tiny when compared to the rest of the box and was rimmed in a black outline, and using a pale green as its fill color.

'Is that a ... progress meter?' I thought. I gave it a test by stopping on the word 'semblance'; the circle stopped spirally filling at what I presumed to be the eighty percent mark.

'Huh, so it is.' as I finished reading the dialogue, the circle filled, glowed briefly, and then automagically closed the notification box.

"That's nifty," I said allowed, an old habit I could have sworn I got rid of long ago.

Another voice made its presence known in the room as the door at the far end of my bed opened.

"Jaune, is that you talking? Are you awake?" It was a familiar voice, it certainly sounded like Nora, but it was a like she was talking through a filter; very quiet.

It took her a moment, but Nora did turn around the corner and walk in my room. She had been sitting out there for awhile if the disheveled look had anything to say about it. Her clothes were in ruins, in one case held on by a literal thread; and I swore I saw burn marks on her abdomen.

"Nora, is that you? Where's Ren? Where's ..." and it punched me square in the face. "Where's Pyrrha!?"

Nora just stood at the door her body trembling; Ren stepped behind her at this point, his hair covering his eyes. I saw a river of tears stream down both of their faces.

"Jaune... I'm. I'm so sorry."

If I could have jumped in surprise, I would have as the same blue notification screen popped into existence in front of me. It read one straightforward thing:

 **[** _ **Alert!**_ _A previously accepted Quest has been updated!_ **]**

 **[** _ **Quest:**_ _Defend Beacon Academy has been completed, but was not completed fully, displaying quest logs for the previous 24 hours_ **]**

I read through both pop-ups, fear wracking my body.

 **[** _ **Alert!**_ _Party Member Pyrrha Nikos has fallen in battle! Revive her to restore half health!_ **]  
[** _ **Alert!**_ _Party Member Pyrrha Nikos has fallen unconscious!_ **]**

 **[** _ **Alert!**_ _Party Member Pyrrha Nikos has failed_ **[1/3]** _Constitution Death Saving Throws! Revive her quickly!_ **]**

I should not be reading these.

 **[** _ **Alert!**_ _Party Member Pyrrha Nikos has failed_ **[2/3]** _Constitution Death Saving Throws! Revive her quickly!_ **]**

I should _not_ be reading these.

 **[** _ **Alert!**_ _Party Member Pyrrha Nikos has failed_ **[3/3]** _Constitution Death Saving Throws and has passed into the after-life._ **]**

By this point I was almost vibrating in my bed, sheer anger and confusion paralyzing my movement.

 **[** _ **Alert!**_ _Party Member Pyrrha Nikos' soul still remains! You have 24 Hrs to collect it before it perishes forever!_ **]**

 **[** _ **Alert!**_ _Party Member Pyrrha Nikos' soul still remains! You have 12 Hrs to collect it before it perishes forever!_ **]**

 _6 Hrs_

 _3 Hrs_

 **[** _ **Alert!**_ _Party Member Pyrrha Nikos' soul still remains! You have 1 Hr to collect it before it perishes forever!_ **]**

That was the last notification. _THAT WAS THE LAST NOTIFICATION!_

"Ren! Nora! Do you know where Pyrrha died!?" My mind was in full overdrive at this point, and I had already gathered my things as I read through the last four dialogues.

"What?" I could see that Nora was hurt and very confused by my question "Jaune, I don't ..."

"I might be able to save her if you know where she is at!" I almost yelled at her. I didn't know how long it had been since that last notification had posted, but time was of the essence here. My mind was still hazy from whatever had happened to me; the farthest back I could remember was the rocket... and ...the tower. Something was helping to clear my mind.

"The tower!" I screamed. I grabbed my sword and shield, running out the door.

It took a moment before I could hear their footsteps behind me, but Ren and Nora soon caught up with me.

 **[** _ **Alert!**_ _A new skill has been created!_ **]**

 **[** _ **Skill: Run**_ _\- A natural ability to get you places faster._ _ **Passive:**_ _Increase base walking speed by 10% per level, increasing 10% per level up._ _ **Active:**_ _Double your base movement speed. Cost: 10 MP per minute or per mile, whichever occurs first._ **]**

"Jaune what do you mean you can save her, what are you talking about?" Ren shouted as he ran beside me. It looked like I was placed on the trauma level for patients on the first floor, so we made it out of the hospital quickly. Thank dust for small miracles. An orderly tried to stop me along the way asking me to go back to my room, but I just rushed straight through them.

It was Nora, after knocking away a second orderly who took chase that asked the next obvious question, "Jaune, what are you doing? How can you save Pyrrha she's already..." her question trailed off as he continued our run through the city. They put me in a hospital on campus, and the medical ward was only half a block through scenic routes away from the primary tower.

These scenic routes were currently covered in Grimm.

"Crap." I came to a screeching halt. None of them had seen us yet, but that would change as the wind direction did. As I stood there, another pop up appeared.

 **[** _ **Alert!**_ _A new Quest has been created!_ **]**

 **[** _ **Quest:**_ _Saving the Remnants_ **]**

 **[** _Pyrrha Nikos has fallen in battle. It is now up to you to save what remains. Find her wandering soul before time runs out!_ **]**

 **[** _ **Reward:**_ _?, Pyrrha Nikos' Soul_ _ **Failure:**_ _Pyrrha's soul fades into the Void, remaining unretrievable forever, ?_ **]**

As the progress meter filled, I answered my teammates' questions.

"Guys, I know this sounds crazy, but while I was out, I think I unlocked my semblance. Right now, it's' telling me that If I can reach wherever Pyrrha died that I can use it to save her."

I turned away from the horde in front of me, a look of hope sparking across their faces. They looked at each other and back to me. Brandishing their weapons, a steely resolve set into their eyes as they trusted my words.

"Lead the way." They chimed. I nodded in response before taking out my weapons. Crocea Mors glistened in the pale moonlight, absorbing the rays with spiritual thirst.

"Alright then. Let's do this."


	2. 1

Previously on TWAC:

"Guys, I know this sounds crazy, but while I was out, I think I unlocked my semblance. Right now, it's' telling me that If I can reach wherever Pyrrha died that I can use it to save her."

I turned away from the horde in front of me, a look of hope sparking across their faces. They looked at each other and back to me. Brandishing their weapons, a steely resolve set into their eyes as they trusted my words.

"Lead the way." They chimed in at the same time. I nodded in response before taking out my weapons. Crocea Mors glistened in the pale moonlight, absorbing the rays with a divine thirst.

"Alright then. Let's do this."

The three of us sprinted towards the swarm of Grimm, 'We are coming for you Pyrrha, just hold on a little longer.'

Just a little longer.

Ω

As Nora, Ren and I sprinted through the district, I began to think back on my time before entering the Void; or limbo, not quite sure which one of those it is. Either way, my thoughts turned back to that time as my body pretty much went on auto-pilot.

 **[ _Alert!_** _The Gamer Semblance version 0.1.4 is available for immediate update. The Gamer Semblance will update to version 6.3.1. Massive player updates, bug fixes, and clarity patches will be applied._ **]**

 **[** _Would you like to Apply these updates: Yes/No_ **]**

This notion that my semblance could have an unforeseen issue in it that would need patching hit me with a mark of confusion and worry. I noticed that beyond the sheer basics that I had a tough time remembering any concrete details about my life before waking up. Maybe that's what it is referring too?

For a moment I was brought back to reality as I parried a beowolf claw.

The courtyard in front of the tower was maybe a quarter square mile in diameter. Tall five-story buildings made of brick and marble flanked it on either side, and grand statues of various sizes were spread throughout. Tall shade trees were carefully placed, offering a moment's reprieve from the otherwise intense sunlight. It was meant to be a centralized place for students and staff alike to relax and decompress from Beacon's otherwise rough credit hour count.

Now it was a battleground cast in moonlight and forever scarred by the small war still parading on its pocked turf.

We were working our way around the backside of the tower, clockwise to reach the front entrance. My eyes immediately tracked to the imposing visage of the Grimm dragon that sat perched on the ruins of the tower top.

It wasn't moving.

Not like it was comfortable just hanging out up there as it left the lesser Grimm it spawned to handle the rest. It was not moving, at all. For the life of me, it looked like something had frozen it in time.

"Guys, " I called out, after thrusting Crocea Mors into the chest of a charging Boarbatusk, "do you see the big one up there? It's not moving, like at all." A spiral swing pivoted me in time to see Nora pancake several baby Beowolves that didn't know that her hammer not being sharp didn't make it any less dangerous.

"Yea, its been like that since yesterday. I heard a rumor from one of the staff nurses that someone's semblance did that." she swung again, pile driving a griffon into a felled tree. I watched the concrete beneath the things skull splinter before acrid black dust began wafting from its form.

We had a moment's reprieve as it seemed the last of the first wave had been killed off. That didn't make it any less dangerous for us. Just at the edge of my vision, I could larger Grimm stalking us. Hiding in the shadows, and waiting for a chance opportunity to strike at one of us. I noticed that as my attention went away from the patch notification, it went near transparent. I took this moment and hit no; a new pop-up appeared saying the new update would be applied while I rested.

As we were reloading and clearing off our gear, another pale blue popup apparated into existence; and for the first time since I read that Pyrrha was dead, fear wracked my body.

 **[ _Alert!_** _Defeating a significant amount of Grimm in a short duration has summoned a **Challenge Boss**! **Challenge Bosses** offer increased EXP rewards with an increased difficulty rating!_ **]**

After the popup vanished from view, a deafening roar pierced through the clearing.

"Guys, be ready. Something's coming."

A second roar reverberated into the clearing, knocking over several trees and creating a dust cloud that quickly spread around us. Large footsteps could be felt as a thirty foot Goliath collapsed the building it walked through to get to us. For the first time, I saw a title bar above its head, denoting its name and rank.

 **It That Calls The Storm  
Level 5**

As the Goliath used its thick trunk to topple the rest of the building, I could feel a sense of repressed fear wash over me. I had never seen a Goliath that close up before, and it felt like a passive aura of nauseating terror was rolling off its form in waves.

"Ren, Nora, we can't fight this right now, we don't have the time." If we could sneak around the rest of the tower, I doubted that it would be able to see us.

It was too late.

As those words escaped my lips, one of its large ears shifted. It turned to face us, and I saw it entirely in all of its grotesque glory. It was gargantuan, but I had never seen a pattern of bone armor like the one it wore on any other Grimm; let alone another Goliath. It was covered trunk to tail in the off-white bone plate. Usually, this would be detrimental, as the lack of general mobility would allow even an ordinary civilian to outmaneuver it and get away.

However, where it was still almost entirely covered, a pattern closely resembling a flowing lightning strike. One, or maybe two-inch gapes zig-zagged in an electric pattern all across its form; even the face and trunk held this uniqueness. This meant that as the Grimm would move about, turning left and right, these gaps with shrink and expand to allow the Grimm full body of movement without compromising on armor.

It was after this brief moment of staring our group down that it lifted its pale white trunk at us. For a second I thought that it would blow a gale of compressed air, but the nose kept rising. It wasn't until the armor-plated appendage was at an almost ninety-degree angle, pointing at the sky, that it stopped.

And then, it roared.

It didn't take five seconds for thick sheets of heavy raindrops to begin pouring down on us in waves. Tornado-like winds threatened to rip us off our feet as large bolts of lightning cracked open the skies.

Ren, who had been paralyzed by the initial fear aura, snapped out of his delirium and yelled over the sheer noise of it all. "We need to go, now!"

I couldn't agree more.

I grabbed Nora and began to run as fast as possible, the wind occasionally pushing us along our journey. As Ren gained on us, I looked back and saw that the Goliath was not an idle party in this ordeal.

No, it was charging at us.

Well... Crap.

 **[Elsewhere, five minutes earlier]**

A day had passed since the event that was now being referred to as The Fall of Beacon. By this point, all the civilians had either been air-vacced out of the area or sent to the closest medical ward. With their immediate work of clearing out local Grimm populations done, Sun and Neptune found themselves in an extreme predicament. Birds to Vacuo wouldn't be arriving for another two weeks, and boredom had set in. Hard.

"I don't know, what do you want to do?" Neptune replied for what felt like the twentieth time. He and Sun had stayed on campus, their rooms were there, and the general area had been cleared out for the moment.

Sun was bored out of his dust damned mind. They had been walking around campus, clearing out the remaining patches of Grimm; but now they had apparently all been taken care of.

"Ugh, you would think there would be something to do on a campus this size," Sun muttered in his pseudo-depressive state.

As the pair turned the corner, they happened upon the original site where the teams fought off the Atlassian Knights, Paladins, and Grimm. Naturally, the Grimm had evaporated, and the smaller Knights and Paladins MRK Is' were carried away. However, the large Paladin MRK II that had charged them at the end of the fight was still there; the Atlassian soldiers had no way to move it at the moment due to its size.

As the pair stared at it, a devious grin split Sun's face in half. Neptune looked over and saw his friend's face, then back to the fallen suit, back to Sun, and then the suit.

"No. Nonononono. That has bad idea written all over it." Neptune was backing away from the device, afraid that even being near it would create an issue.

"Oh, I know it is," Sun replied with a smirk and began to sprint over to the mech.

Neptune sighed, knowing his friend was now determined to ruin his day. "I am so going to regret this."

 **[With Nora, Ren, and Jaune]**

The massive form of the Grimm Goliath was approaching at full ramming speed; at this point, only a large object or the Grimm itself would be able to stop the thing from splattering them into paste on the ground. And yet, a second, much louder high pitch squeal could be heard echoing in the courtyard.

"YAAAAHOOOOOOO!" And through a second, now destroyed, building an Atlassian Paladin rocketed into the side of the rampaging Goliath at full speed.

Here is where Logic flipped the table and left the room, leaving Physics all alone to play with Gravity and Momentum.

The Paladin rammed the charging Goliath off course knocking it into the air. The Grimm was catapulted a dozen feet and slammed through one of the remaining statues. The Paladin came to a crashing halt after the impact, and I could hear the emergency protocols alarm discharge the occupants before the dust reserves went supernova. The explosion was spectacular, the resulting firestorm cooking the titanic Grimm from the inside out.

Ren, Nora and I came to a quick stop, the sheer stupidity of it all more surprising than the act itself.

 **[ _Alert!_** _The Challenge Boss has been defeated!_ **]**

"You have got to be kidding me."

Sun and Neptune rose to their feet, and after clearing themselves off, they looked around the clearing.

"Oops," Sun said before scratching the back of his head.

"I told you that wasn't auto-pilot!" Neptune spat while slapping the other idiot in the back of the head.

As the typical black fog began to evaporate from the Grimm body, I yelled over to the pair, " Are you two alright?"

It took a moment for them to realize that there were other people in the clearing; but after noticing us, they jogged over.

"A few bumps and bruises, but we're good. What are you guys doing out here?" Sun asked looking between the three of us, "I thought the area had been cleared out of students."

I hesitated for a moment; their help might be useful.

"We are on a mission. I unlocked my semblance while I was out, and I might be able to save Pyrrha."

Their eyes grew in size for a moment as they both appeared shocked. They looked back to one another, nodded, and looked back to me.

"Whatever it is, we're in," Sun said, brandishing his musket-staff.

Neptune similarly brandished his assault-spear and powered it on.

The storm overhead had calmed down, although the clouds were left behind. Cool white moonlight could be seen poking through, and as our group continued our run around the central tower, I knew that we would be able to save her.

'We're coming, Pyrrha. Just a little bit longer.'

 **[Elsewhere?]**

I have recently found that the act of dying is far worse than death itself. Beyond the shock and suddenness of it all, I can truthfully say that the peacefulness that follows is nothing compared to the fear of it.

That said, it is terribly dull.

I was currently sitting in a pale white room, the walls of which appeared to be painted brick. A smooth metallic chair sat in the middle, and a rather small square table accompanied it. No windows, no doors, not even a defining separation between the wall and ceiling.

I sighed, I had been here for what felt like days.

"Pyrrha Nikos." I had heard that name before. I ... I think it was mine! "Your untimely death has left me in a bit of a pickle." The voice rang out from the wall in front of me before it began to darken, and an outline of a door followed suit. The pale white texture gave way too multi-colored brick; the door was made of a thick mahogany wood that twisted with gnarls and swirls. A moment passed, but the door did open. It revealed an objectively beautiful person. Medium chestnut colored hair was pulled back over the ears; their green eyes seemed to stare straight through me. A warm brown vest coat covered an off-white undershirt, an even darker brown shade colored their pants.

"I didn't know the dead could be an inconvenience to living," I replied. My voice had gone hoarse from the lack of speaking.

The figure across from me smiled a rueful grin, "If my travels have taught me anything, it is that the dead are a far greater burden than those that still hold a heartbeat."

I paused for a moment in contemplation, "I suppose this is a new experience for me."

The figure across from me straightened a pin on their outer coat that read '#1 Mom' before taking a seat.

"Well, I suppose." They took a moment of silence, staring me down and as the silence approached the brink of being uncomfortable, "But what if it didn't have to be that way for you? Hmm? What if you could return for a time to the land of the living?"

My breath hitched in my chest.

"You would not be the same, of course. Your body was destroyed in a rather unique way. But, I can offer you a way to quickly and easily return to good ole' Remnant."

I turned my face from this person. Whoever they are, surely they had to be lying...

"I promise that my offer to return you is no lie. It will be a different form, yes. But new is not bad in this case."

My face still turned, I thought about it. I had so much to do. Someone I desired to see. My friends.

But no. I had made my choice.

"I wish to thank you, but no. I made my choice, and I will stick to it."

For a brief flash, I swore I saw anger and frustration pass over their face; but it was gone just as quickly.

"I swear, this is an excellent deal." They leaned forward, an aura of intimidation around them.

And suddenly, a pang of pure agony swept through my core. I screamed out in confusion and pain as I felt like I was being torn from this place.

The person across from me saw this, their eyes dilating as they slammed their fists on the table; denting it in the process, "No dammit! You _WILL NOT TAKE THIS ONE FROM ME!_ "

I saw their form swiftly change, something evil, something wrong.

And then, everything turned white.

 **[Three Minutes Earlier, Jaune, and Co.]**

We had managed to make our way to the front of the tower, and after entering, clear out the stragglers that were snooping around the ruble. The opening room was almost destroyed, and as we looked for a way up an immediate issue made itself known.

"The power's out," I said while scanning the room. The lights weren't on, and there is typically an entrance bell that rings, "The attack on the school must have taken out the generator."

It took all of about a minute for Nora and Neptune to scream out at the same time, "I have an idea!"

I looked to the both of them as my eyebrow raised, "What's that?"

Neptune activated his electric spear, "Normally, I only keep grade 3 Electric Blue dust in here, and that's nowhere near enough to keep the power on long enough for us to get to the top. But," He pointed his spear towards Nora, "if I remember correctly, your Semblance will allow you to filter that at a higher output, right? Maybe we could jump-start the system with a high enough voltage."

I looked too Nora for confirmation.

"Yea..." She said, "His idea is better."

I could feel the tick mark form on my face, "Are you sure you can handle that much power?" I asked the manic valkyrie.

Nora took a stance of positivity, "Yep! Just pump me full of that good stuff, I'll make sure the power turns back on!" She did a small jump at the end.

I sighed, but time was running out.

"Alright, let's get this done."

It took a bit of finagling, but I used the tip of Crocea Mors and opened the call box next to one of the two elevators that weren't broken. Nora stepped up to it and grabbed on cable per hand, "Ready!" She chimed. Neptune walked up behind her, and I could see his gulp. Although it was his idea, he was nervous about using his weapon on an ally.

It took him a moment, but I saw him prepare and make his ready call. Ren, Sun and I had pulled the elevator door open and stepped inside, and upon my command, Neptune clicked his weapon and shoved it into Nora's back.

Many things happened at once.

To begin with, Nora cried out at the volume of electricity she was receiving, I could tell it hurt her, but she took it like a champ.

Secondly, three large Boarbatusks plowed through the wall on the opposite side of the room. It took Sun and Ren all of a second to jump out of the elevator before Ren turned around and hit the button for the top floor.

"Go," he said, "We will make sure the power stays on." I looked at my friend for a moment, gratitude in my eye before the doors closed.

I could hear the fighting outside, and I worried about my friends. They were doing so much to make sure we could get Pyrrha back. A smile crossed my lips as I heard the ding for the elevator opening.

But this wasn't the top floor.

The elevator was stuck. I could feel the metal grinding on the chords above me. A high pitch squeal grew in volume as the entire elevator lurched forward.

Crap. I dove through the door as I felt the elevator collapse. After collecting myself, I heard an explosion as the metal box hit rock bottom. A moment passed before Ren's voice echoed up the shaft, "Jaune! Are you okay!?"

"Yea, I'm fine!" I yelled back, "The elevator didn't make it to the top floor though! It looks like I'm," I looked back on the highlighted floor number, "two floors below it!"

A moment passed before I heard Neptune's voice, "Well, how are you going to make it to the top?"

 **[ _Alert!_** _Party Member Pyrrha Nikos' soul still remains! You have 5 Min to collect it before it perishes forever!_ **]**

 **[ _Quest:_** _**Saving The Remnants!** has been updated! Five minutes remain! _**]**

 _ohshitohshitohshit_

I walked to the edge of the door and looked up, the cable which previously connected the cart to the rest of the conveyor was still holding on. If I could use it to climb up, I still might be able to make it in time.

"Okay, I think I have a plan!" I yelled down, "The cable is still ..." I back a few feet away from the door and sprinted. Time slowed as the cable grew closer and closer. My hand grabbed reached out for the cable.

And slid.

All the way to the frayed end where lose metallic cable dug into my hand.

"...holding." I finished through bared teeth. As I climbed, I could feel how slick the cable was. It had been lubed to keep the wire from grinding in the gearbox. It would make climbing more difficult, but not impossible.

"Alright, the elevator door is only fifteen feet up, I can do this," I yelled down.

There was no immediate response as I heard the fighting picking up.

'Okay, take it five feet at a time.'

 **[ _Alert!_** _A new Skill has been created!_ **]**

 **[ _Skill: Rope Mastery_** _has been created through interaction with ropes of any kind! Using this **Skill** will increase your understanding of how to properly use and maintain strings, chord, and cables of any kind! **Upgrading** this skill will unlock new and exciting abilities for both serious and sensual uses alike!_ **]**

The popup appeared as I was ten feet up the cable and inevitably made me lose a third of that in progress. I am not used to this whole 'your life is a game' semblance yet.

"Serious and sensual... I wonder what that could mean?" I continued my climb as I pondered the wording. The ascent was slow but steady, and it only took me another minute to make my way to the top door.

'Okay, three minutes left.'

My hands were beginning to feel the effort of pulling me up. The chord was incredibly slippery, so I needed to apply more pressure than usual to make sure I didn't slide down again.

Or worse, fall.

As I swiveled around to face the closed door another popup appeared.

 **[ _Alert!_** _A Challenge of Strength has been created!_ **]**

 **[** _Completing this final task will open the way to Pyrrha's lost soul! Through focus of mind and determination, you will be able to complete this task._ **]**

 **[ _Alert!_** _The player will have three attempts to knock through this steel door before their strength gives out! Use everything you have and break through this obstacle!_ **]**

Three attempts...

All things considered, that's not a lot. After reading the last prompt, a timer appeared on the top left-hand corner of my vision. It began counting down from two minutes and thirty seconds.

'Right, three tries.'

The elevator shaft was relatively wide for this purpose, so I had plenty of room to swing on. I pushed back against the wall twice and gathered a significant amount of momentum on the backswing. I pulled up and aimed my straightened legs into the steel frame. With a resounding slam,

It barely moved.

Dammit, I pulled back for a second swing. I felt my back touch the wall as I pushed into the downward curve. I roared as the impact sounded,

But the dent only widened, and I was no closer to having it fully open.

A final alert appeared and reminded me that this was my last chance. I angrily dismissed it and spent the next thirty seconds just gaining momentum on the cable. I could hear the mounting system creak up above, not use to this horizontal movement. This was it; it was my last chance.

It was Pyrrha's last chance.

With everything I had, I pulled upon my aura to brace my legs and pushed into the door. I heard the loud racket of steel and ceramics.

And bounced off the door.

My grip slipped, the mechanism having let go, and I began to plummet.

"NO!" I cried!

My hands let go of the cable, I reached out for the wall, for the edge of the elevator door. I found purchase, but the blood caused me to slip.

" _YOU WILL NOT TAKE HER FROM ME AGAIN!_ "

I slammed my boot into the wall as I fell two feet. I pulled up on everything I had, everything that I am, and felt brick and mortar give way to steel-toed boot.

 **[ _Alert!_** _Party Member Pyrrha Nikos' soul still remains! You have **1 Min.** to collect it before it perishes forever!_ **]**

 **[ _Quest: Saving The Remnants!_** _has been updated! One Minute remains!_ **]**

I quickly dried my hand on my sleeve and reached for the metal door edge. I found the crack and pulled the rest of my body up. The door had huge dents from my last attempt, and I could see right through to the other side. I forced my right hand into the seam and using my left as a wedge; I pushed the door open.

30 seconds.

The door gave way as I pulled myself through. I squeezed through to the other side, rolling my body into a standing position and frantically looking around.

Into a mostly empty room.

20 seconds.

'What! where is she?!'

I began to search around frantically. I saw the gears that had been tossed around, and Ozpin's desk lied in shambles on the floor.

10 seconds.

' _WHAT AM I LOOKING FOR?!_ '

9 seconds.

I began to cry, tears flowing down my face.

8 seconds.

I dropped my head, ashamed that I hadn't been able to save her.

Again.

7 seconds.

But it was through my tears that I saw something I had missed entirely. I had finished my search by standing in the middle of the room, but my search kept me at eye level. I was looking for a person, not an object.

6 seconds.

I saw her tiara, glistening quietly on the ground. It was glowing with a pale orange light, and I have no idea how I didn't see it before.

5 seconds.

I picked it up and inspected it; as I did so, another notification appeared.

4 seconds.

 **[ _Alert!_** _You have found a temporary Soul Jar!_

3 seconds.

 _This jar contains the soul fragment of Pyrrha Nikos! Would you like to purify and absorb it?_ **]**

 **[** _Yes/No_ **]**

2 seconds.

A smile crept across my face, and as I slammed the yes button, the world faded to black.

1 second.


	3. 2

**[ Alert!** The Author has created a changelog. Would you like to read it? **]**

 **[ _Yes /_** _No_ **]**

 **[ Hello everyone. A few notes moving forward. I have updated my profile page to include specific details regarding the chapter update cycles; and how I go about writing them. While I go into great specifics there (** And I do, _highly,_ recommend you read the information on updates **) The TL;DR is simple. I was born with a non-twenty-four hour, swinging,** **circadian rhythm. How my body percieves, day and night are most likely** not **how you do. ]**

 **[Also, I have updated chapters one and two for clarity, grammar, and punctuation. No major plot edits. I am typically writing on those chapters from 1 am to 4 am in the morning, simple mistakes are bound to happen. Read the profile if you are curious. ]**

 **[ End, Thank You ]**

 **[** **Location Unknown** **]**

One week has passed since the fall of Beacon Academy. This pause in the battle had allowed the school to pull its resources back from missions abroad, and enabled the Hunters on hand to recover.

The cease-fire has also allowed the Grimm population that near covered the school before to nearly triple in density. The problem only grew once you considered that the Grimm Dragon was not going away. The thick tar-like blobs that dripped from its frozen carcass still fell to create hordes of fresh baby Grimm.

It was the perfect time to pull a heist.

In a large and mostly empty hall, a bloody crimson black and red portal wobbled into existence. For the life of it, the opening appeared to be incredibly unstable. Its shape and size were fluctuating in the pure black corridor.

For a time, the portal appeared content with merely existing, as nothing came through. Ten minutes would pass before a sharp and high pitched _clack_ reverberated around the concrete walls. Black leggings reveled porcelain white skin as a masked figure pulled away from the darkness behind them.

As they entered, long rows of black braziers flickered to life with a pale green flame. A gentle breeze passed through the old gothic hall, waving the long black hair of Raven Branwen behind her.

Knowing exactly where her prize lay hidden, she let the portal close and started sprinting to her destination. Three steps in, a flaming green ball of fire nearly seared her coat off.

Seven more fireballs followed after, the hall becoming an almost torrent of fiery death.

"Dammit, Oz." she said while thrusting her blade horizontally, creating a thin sharp blade of wind, "You always were one for theatrics, but _this_ is overkill!" Seven more fireballs exploded mere feet from her as they came in contact with the wind blade.

It was becoming difficult to make any forward progress as these projectiles held more substance than just flame. After they exploded or collided with their target, they left a thick, caustic slime behind that kept burning independently.

By this time Raven's forward progression had stopped entirely. The chandeliers reloaded and fired at an astonishing rate, and it wasn't just those close to her that are shooting. Flames at both ends of the near mile-long walk were screaming rapid-fire.

An unseen tick appeared behind her raven themed mask as her patience wore away. She continued to slap or slice the balls of liquid death until she found an opening in the fire pattern. She sheathed her dust blade as the chamber at her side clicked into place. Blue replaced red as her anger drew her sword faster than the eye could perceive.

In a flash of blinding pale blue light, it began to snow.

Mostly because every visible surface had been flash frozen with an inch of ice.

 _Down the entire hall._

"That is quite enough of that." She said as the spent blade shattered. She verbally ticked at the lose; making these things wasn't cheap dammit!

"Oz, you so owe me for this." her voice echoed in the now quiet and very dark chamber. If the lack of visible light affected her at all, she didn't show it. Her stride was confident and secure, never once did she slip on the hard frozen ground. Her destination close, she turned down a side hall and trekked on.

 **[ Unknown? ]**

Time passes in strange intervals when you have nothing to discern it by. What your body may tell you is an hour, may instead be mere seconds. I woke up with a shout. As I inspected my new landscape, I recognized tall trees and a bright blue sky peeking through the foliage.

As I gathered myself and rose to my feet, I noticed that my sword and shield were both missing. It's strange. I usually would feel a bit of apprehension over this. Crocea Mors was a relic handed down through the male side of my family. While it had no real physical value, the sentimental and historical value alone should have me tearing everything not nailed down to find it.

However, I wasn't feeling anything.

No fear, confusion, or dread.

Nothing.

As I took better stock of my surroundings, I began to piece the picture together. This place was not the tower I remembered being at previously. In fact, everything was a bit hazy. Who I was, who I am, and who I had been.

I glanced around at the surrounding forest. Massive oaks of various widths stood tall, and as I glanced at the canopy, thick crimson leaves bristled in a nonexistent wind.

Time passed to dusk as I wandered around the forest, taking in all the sights and smells. The perfume of sweet sap filled the air and led me down a small path. Tree after tree passed me by before I came to a clearing. A large one at that, as it could fill a thousand people comfortably.

I recognized this place; it is a training ground where I used to practice.

Stepping further in, the bright, sharp sound of ringing metal on metal reverberated into my ears. In the distance, I saw myself in a defensive stance, parrying attacks from my partner.

Pyrrha, she is here, wherever here is, teaching me all the ways that I am crap at using both my sword and shield.

I stood there for a while, watching from a distance the memory of a battle I fought long ago. She beat the shit out of me that day, even with the supposed victory I scored in the end. Her eyes were fierce as she _tore_ through my aura like wet bread. Objectively, this was damned near abuse as her short sword stole blood for the fifth, sixth time.

As the battle raged on, I felt a presence walk close beside me. Turning to see who joined me, I saw a shock of fiery red hair and smooth pale skin.

I stood dead still while taking in her form.

Her beautiful straight hair flowed in the breeze behind her; where it usually would be pulled into a ponytail, it was let down to its full length. Her usual attire was gone, replaced with a white dress that clung to her form in all the right ways.

She was bleeding profusely from a wound in her sternum, and it stained the white dress before flowing down to her feet where another red splotch formed.

"Hello, Jaune," Her eyes rained teardrops as a river flowed down her face, "I am sorry you are seeing me like this."

Her voice broke me out of my stupor, and I was by her side in an instant.

"Are you hurt? Are you in pain? Why are you covered in blood?" I stopped and pulled away from her.

One second passed before I was hugging her. I didn't even feel the dampness on my shirt, even though she was still bleeding. She stood there, not returning my hug. I heard a gasp from her when I first closed my arms, but after a time, and what might as well been an eternity; I felt her arms close around me.

Her voice filled my ears like musical chimes as fresh tears pooled in my eyes.

"Do you know what this memory is?" she asked, pulling away from me. I didn't let her go at first, but after she chuckled and smiled and gently said my name, I slid my hand down to where ours met.

I turned and tuned back into the fight at hand; the battle hadn't stopped when my own Pyrhha had entered the clearing.

"If I remember correctly, this was the first fight where you managed to hit me." She said while leaning her head on my shoulders. "It is also," she continued, "where I caught feelings for you, in earnest. This clearing is where I saw in you what seemingly no one else did."

She went quiet for a moment as the memory flowed back into the forefront of our minds.

 **[ Several Months Ago, Forest Clearing ]**

I woke up this morning to a _very_ pissed teammate.

Our regular schedule had Pyrrha waking up at the same time as Ren, followed by myself and Nora; typically in that order. That's not to say that any of us were slouches, we were each still up well before the sun rose.

Today was off though, something about our previous training sessions had set Pyrrha off; everyone felt it when she was even a little miffed. Nora would typically be the one to handle morning training; despite the order in which we woke, she had the most energy.

Today was _different_.

Pyrrha took the reigns for our exercises ... if that's what you wanted to call the beatings, we received.

At best it was torture, at worst it was just plain sadistic.

The day's training stood out from others by the fact that it was an all-out brawl. Instead of running or general exercise, we were each tasked with fighting Pyrrha in combat. Including teams and one v one. Don't let the term 'team' confuse you; it ended up being either one, two, or all three of us 'fighting' her until we passed out.

No one said a word. No one questioned the sudden drive in the other shield bearing teammate.

It wasn't until well in the afternoon that I confronted her about it. We had just finished dinner, and where everyone else ate like someone starved, Pyrrha barely touched her plate. She left the hall early and didn't say where she was going or when she would be back. Everyone at the table, Ren, Nora, Ruby, Yang, and even Velvet all shared a look. It was clear that something was bothering her.

After dinner, I went looking for her. Several hours passed and I was beginning to grow worried.

I found her in the woods on the northern side of campus. The low light and red colored leaves near camouflaging her in the pale moonlight. She visibly tensed as she heard my footsteps, sword ready at her side in case of enemy assault.

However, the attack never came, and as her eyes met mine she bristled and turned back to her solace.

"Go away Jaune, I'm fine," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, "I'll be back to the dorm later. I'm just..." she paused, and kicked the leaves at her feet, "... thinking."

Without really thinking myself, I continued to trudge forward, each step a calculated risk.

"If there's one thing I'm good at, its talking with people. So if there's anyth..." The word never finished as a deadly sharp blade appeared inches from my throat.

A swift breeze kicked up the leaves in the clearing.

"Draw your weapon, Jaune." she said, her voice filled with pent-up sorrow.

I hesitated for a moment, "Pyrrha, I don't understan..."

"Draw your sword!" she interrupted me again, her voice screaming with a crack of sadness.

I had indeed brought my trusty tools; traveling this far out into the Forever Fall was suicide without them. I made to back up, my hands firmly at shoulder height as I attempted to calm her down again.

The dodge roll I made afterward was rather impressive if I do say so myself.

"I don't know what's going on, Pyrrha, but ..." I forced her to dodge this time with a surprise attack as I quickly unsheathed Crocea Mors. The attempted underhanded attack made the redhead scowl, but the sharp high pitched sound of metal on metal reverberated around the clearing soon after.

This bout went on for quite some time, and surprisingly enough I was holding my own.

"Pyrrha, what's going on?" I shouted in between a horizontal slash that went wide and a dodged kick to the stomach. I saw an opening in her attack pattern; in fact, this entire fight, _not one_ of her moves had been particularly precise. Everything felt like she was swinging through water.

She stopped.

Mid-swing, all forward momentum halted on her part.

I couldn't say the same.

Crocea Mors broke through her low block and bit deeply in her arm. Blood began to flow from the wound, and it looked like I may have nicked an artery.

I went to work quickly, near throwing my sword away. I pulled a length of gauze from my pack and began to clean her wound. Several minutes elapsed while I washed the bleeding scar. My first aid skills weren't the best, so the result looked a little sloppy. It took me this long to realize that her aura had been down this entire fight.

When I finished tending to her wound, I sat down on the stomped grass beside her.

Time passed, hours went by without a word. Ren and Nora called me at one point, and I reassured them that the both of us were fine. By now, it was early morning, maybe two am. My tailbone grew sore even as I switched sitting positions often. "Do you believe in destiny, Jaune?" she said breaking the silence after nearly three hours.

The question brought me to a bit of shock.

"I have never really thought about it." I honestly replied. I was more worried about the next day than the next year or ten.

Pyrhha looked back; she had been turned with her back to me since I finished tending to her cut. Now she moved to face me, and I saw the silent stream of long dried tears that flowed down her face. She took a moment to clean herself.

"Recently," she said while wiping away the saline line, "I have been having dreams. Everyone one of them has ended with me standing over the corpses of everyone I have ever met. All of my friends and family. Everyone."

I saw as she balled her right hand into a tight fist.

"I was so pathetic to stand there and watch. I couldn't do anything. I didn't do..."

I didn't feel my arm begin to vibrate, and I didn't feel it as it whisked through the air.

I felt it slap Pyrhha's face _with every fiber of my being_.

It took me a moment to calm down, but the words that did leave my mouth were in a damn near shout.

"Frankly Pyrrha, that's selfish and brazen and stupid." I had risen to my feet, looking down over her form, still frozen from my strike. "To think that after all the work we have done; all the training that everyone has gone through. You feel that you would be the last one standing? The one person left alive to tell the tale? If you think for _**one moment**_ that I or anyone of our friends would do something as stupid as to fight something they know is out of their league; then I don't know you as well as I thought. Everyone, you included, has put in months of work into becoming stronger. I even held you off for nearly ten minutes just now!"

Pyrrha turned to me, surprise still in her eyes as fresh tears began to fall.

"On top of all that, " I said, my voice calming from the near fervor it was before, "You should not underestimate yourself like that. You are strong, and you have your team besides you. You have all of us" I kneeled down in front of her, our eyes boring into each other. "Nothing can stop team Juniper when we put our heads to it."

As the memory began to fade, my perspective changed back to the other side of the clearing. I felt the dried paths of tears long lost. I had regretted the actions I took that night for a long time. I never knew how impactful they were for Pyrrha, but as we left that clearing all those moons ago, I can see through new eyes that it was incredibly important.

"It wasn't the blade that lit my real interest in you. The physical cut lost its sting seconds after it happened." She leaned off my shoulder as I felt the damp cloth stick to my skin.

"You woke me from my depressive sleep and reminded me that we write our own destiny. I saw the man in you that cared about his friends, and cared about me enough to know that sometimes a slap to the face now is better than a self-served stumbling block later. "

I was silent as I stared at her form across my own. My hands had naturally found themselves on her hips, with her hands woven around my neck.

Suddenly the clearing around us faded to black. The trees and grass, moon and stars all fell away to what appeared to be an infinite void. As I looked around, I didn't feel like we were falling, even though there was no visible ground for us to stand on.

A moment passed before a pale blue notification window popped up before us. I was surprised to note that Pyrrha saw it as well.

 **[** _ **Alert! Sanctification** and **Purification** of **Pyrrha's Soul Jar** _has _been completed! This process has clarified the remaining soul of Pyrrha Nikos! **Corruption** levels have been reduced from seventy-eight percent to less than one half of one percent. Continued purification measures are configurable in the **Companion** panel of your **Character Settings** list. _**]**

 **[** _Would you like to equip this soul into your first **Companion Slot**?_ **]**

 **[** _Yes / No_ **]**

A smile crept along my face as I read through the popup. I noticed that this time there were two progress circles in the top right-hand corner. Mine remained the original light green color, where the second circle filled with a fiery red. I could only assume this was Pyrrha's marker. As I looked to the woman in question, I saw the look of confusion spread across her face.

Then she glanced around and took a step away from me, and I could almost see the memories flash across her mind.

"Jaune, what is this place, why are we here ... why are you here?"

I took a moment to carefully word my response; it would not do to have her freak out now.

When did I become so analytical?

"Pyrrha you ... died, and I had a somewhat similar experience recently. I found myself caught in some kind of limbo, but I unlocked my semblance in the process. From what I can tell, it has turned my life into a video game. When I woke up, I saw messages similar to this that told me I could save you. The team plus Sun and Neptune ran to where you passed, and the last thing I remember was picking your tiara up."

I approached her again, pulling her hands into my own.

"I found a way to save you. I don't know what all of it means, but if I can have you back in my life... in everyone's life again; then it will be effort well spent."

While I was talking, her head had dropped, a quiet sob escaping her throat.

A smile made its way back onto my face as I let go of her left hand and held her right in both of my own. Here is where it would get tricky.

"I refuse to take away your freedom of choice here if you want to remain the way you are; I will be happy knowing that you will be at peace in the afterlife." I pulled her head up with my left hand, "But if you come with me again, we can experience the rest of school; and wherever life leads us after that."

Her green eyes wavered in uncertainty for a moment but hardened to a steely resolve seconds later.

She grabbed my hand, intertwining our fingers and lifting them to accept the offer.

"I'm ready to write my own destiny." She said.

A snort left my nose as my knuckle hit yes, "Really," I laughed "That's your acceptance speech?" Our shared smiles near split our faces.

As my knuckle pulled away from the notification screen, it began to crack like an eggshell. Piercing bright light flooded the room as ... its hard to describe but _cracks in reality_ formed as well. The black nothing gave way as large pieces fell away revealing a cold, crisp white light.

I burned the image of her smiling face into my mind as the world faded away.

 **[ Beacon Emergency Medical Ward, Three Days Later ]**

"Dammit... this again."

The loud, near piercing whale of a heart rate monitor, rang in my ears like shattering glass on a blackboard while screeching chalk across it.

And that was just the dust damned heart monitor!

I could feel the cold flow of IV fluid in my arm, same as before. This time was separated from my previous experience as I found myself clothed in hospital garb. I sighed loudly in the empty room as I saw my clothes hanging across the way on the back of the door; blood stains still marring several sections.

A second later the door slammed open with such force that the hinges were blown off. Nora near flew to my bedside before hitting me with a barrage of questions like only she could.

"Jaune! You're awake! Again! That's good. You've been asleep for like, three whole days, and we were getting worried! Again. The Grimm population on campus was cleared away! Even the giant scary dragon one. But the campus is still closed 'cause like ... everythings destroyed." her voice was rapid fire as she went through three days worth of updates. Distinct fluctuations from high to low pitch found its way into her regular speech pattern.

Speaking of which, a long series of notification boxes were waiting for me as they sat on the edge of my vision, near entirely transparent. I ignored them for now as an orderly came by to check up on things.

The next hour went by more or less standard procedure. I wasn't physically injured anymore, so I was released for active duty after a three week rest period. Ren, Nora, and many of the other members of the active team roster came by to visit as I was on my way out. All of them seemed happy that I had made a full recovery and confused why I was in the tower in the first place. I deflected their questions for the moment with a made-up tale of bravery gone wrong.

Ren, Nora, Sun, and Neptune had kept their mouths shut on the matter; something I was thankful for.

After I was released, I was told of a temporary housing solution while our dorms were repaired.

Now, several hours and many 'thank-you's later, I am sat in what is a mostly empty classroom. It had been repurposed to house a dozen or so teams for temporary lodging. I snorted, of course, even after so much of campus was annihilated, the classrooms remained perfectly whole.

I shook my head and laid down on the bedroll provided, my head pressing through the thin pillow to the hardwood floor below. It took me a moment to get comfortable, but I eventually found a less painful way to relax.

I would need it, the thick stack of notifications that only seemed to grow throughout the day had been staring me down. One, in particular, had caught my eye.

 **[ _Alert!_** _The Gamer's Semblance has been updated to version 6.3.1! New patches, bugfixes, and clarity corrections have been applied!_ **]**

 **[** _Would you like to read the changelogs?_ **]**

 **[** _Yes / No_ **]**


	4. 3

**[ _Alert! New Author's Notes:_ ]**

 **[ _Hello again, I apologize for the general delay on this chapter. I am not entirely satisfied with the end product; even after four rewrites. To me, this is an info dump chapter and almost filler. I generally dislike filler in any format, but this is necessary. I feel that one of the big pulls for this story is the smaller chapter size when compared to others; and if I were to go into more in-depth detail or write plot on top of this, we are getting into six-thousand, seven-thousand-word chapters.]_**

 **[ _I am generally okay with longer chapters, but will pull reader feedback for the future._ ]**

 **Previously on Those Who Are Called: Path of the Paladin**

The next hour went by more or less standard procedure. I wasn't physically injured anymore, so I was released for active duty after a three week rest period. Ren, Nora, and many of the other members of the active team roster came by to visit as I was on my way out. All of them seemed happy that I had made a full recovery and confused why I was in the tower in the first place. I deflected their questions for the moment with a made-up tale of bravery gone wrong.

Ren, Nora, Sun, and Neptune had kept their mouths shut on the matter; something I was thankful for.

After I was released, I was told of a temporary housing solution while our dorms were repaired.

Now, several hours and many 'thank-you's later, I am sat in what is a mostly empty classroom. It had been repurposed to house a dozen or so teams for temporary lodging. I snorted, of course, even after so much of campus was demolished, the classrooms remained perfectly whole.

I shook my head and laid down on the bedroll provided, my head pressing through the thin pillow to the hardwood floor below. It took me a moment to get comfortable, but I eventually found a less painful way to relax.

I would need it, the thick stack of notifications that only seemed to grow throughout the day had been staring me down. One, in particular, had caught my eye.

 **[ _Alert!_** _The Gamer's Semblance has been updated to 6.3.1! New patches, bugfixes, and clarity corrections have been applied!_ **]**

 **[** _Would you like to read the changelogs?_ **]**

 **[** _Yes_ **/** _No_ **]**

I spent the next two hours reading through changelogs.

Most of them wound up being quality of life updates; such as word choice or sentence clarity.

Beyond those, I did have a few interesting finds:

 **[ _Alert!_** _Player update to 6.3.1 was successful with few errors! Ability updates have been qued for processing. Notice: Insufficient experience inhibited complete update._ **]**

 **[** _These processes completed without issue:_ **]**

 **[ _Alert!_** _New directories are found in the player menu! Directories include **Aura** , **Companion** , **Inventory** , **Map** , **Preferences** , **Quests** , **Skills** , and **Stats**._ **]**

 **[ _Alert!_** _New player HUD options have been added to the **Preferences** directory!_ **]**

 **[ _Alert!_** _Several Skills previously activated without Proficiency have been retroactively added and set to appropriate levels. Discover more information in the **Skills** directory._ **]**

Even after accepting each alert, a stack of probably thirty or more notifications remained. These guys held a darker green fill color and looked to be grouped by an emerald box.

 **[ _Quest!_** _Saving the Remnants has been completed with every optional objective!_ **]**

Once the alert closed, a new set of notifications appeared in front of the green. These detailed the completion of my first quest and clarified my rewards.

 **[ _Quest:_** _Saving the Remnants_ **]**

 **[** _Pyrrha Nikos has fallen in battle. It is now up to you to save what remains. Find her wandering soul before time runs out!_ **]**

 **[ Reward:** **Companion Focus** , Pyrrha Nikos' Soul **Failure:** Pyrrha's soul fades into the Void remaining unretrievable forever, ? **]**

 **[** _Reward Items have been added to your **Inventory**._ **]**

I stopped here for a moment, ignoring the remaining stack of alerts, I need to answer a question I had been wondering about for a while now.

What happened to Pyrrha?

 **[ Elsewhere ]**

While I have had a few drinks of alcohol in my life, most of them were ceremonial or wine; and even then not in large amounts. I have never been black-out drunk before, that said I believe I know how it feels now.

My head pulsed with the world's most potent migraine and by the feel of it, it was only getting worse.

The light show wasn't helping.

I woke up a few minutes ago, the last thing I remembered was accepting Jaune's offer; then everything is fuzzy. Even worse, when I do return to consciousness, this bright blue light is staring me down.

I took a few minutes to clear my head and at least look at the source of my pain.

 **[ _Alert!_** _The Gamer's Semblance version 1.0.0 has finished installation!_ **]**

The box assaulted my eyes a moment more before fading from view when I finished reading it.

" _Pyrrha? Can you hear me?_ " Jaune's voice boomed all around me with no discernable direction. My growing migraine laughed as it plunged new and painful spikes through my skull.

"Jaune," I replied through gritted teeth, "please, not so loud." My voice squeaked in agony for a moment before the pain faded to nothingness.

I took this moment to engage in my surroundings, something I had yet to do since entering this place. Doing so brought a pulse of remorse as I saw a carbon copy of team JNPR's dorm room. Not everything was perfect, the words found on book spines littered throughout the space were ineligible. The smell was gone as well; nothing terrible, but I found myself missing the potent smell of Ren's teas or Nora's sweet syrups.

I felt a wave of nausea pass over me as I made my way towards the bed. The way I walked here, moved around, it's all wrong in ways I can't describe. Regular clothes have weight, shoes, bracelets, necklaces, they all create drag as you pass through the air. But when I moved about the space here, I couldn't feel any air resistance. I didn't feel like I weighed anything at all.

I didn't depress the bed sheets as I laid down in my spot.

What or wherever this place is, getting used to this weightless feeling will take a long time.

 **[ With Jaune ]**

A few moments pass with no general response. The quietness of the lecture hall is getting to me; living with Ren and Nora for the previous few months had given me a form of anxiety in a calm room.

" _Jaune_ ," I heard Pyrrha's voice reply in my head, " _please, not too loud._ " Her voice spoke quietly. I could hear her pain, something not very typical for everything I could remember about her. She tended to send all of her emotions away, showing very little in the way of pain or discomfort with any given situation.

"Is everything okay?" I asked out loud. I could feel the flinch in her voice when she responded.

" _Okay, I am bound to your soul, right? So instead of talking out loud, try thinking about what you want to say. Maybe that won't shake the room or trigger a migraine I am nursing._ "

A moment passed as I thought about the best way to enact her request.

"Is this better?" I thought, thinking the words in slow, meticulous order. Even though it is a different experience when compared to verbally speaking; I still heard my voice as clear as day.

" _That's much better. Thank you, Jaune._ " I heard her shuffle around, the rubbing of fabric on fabric before she went still again. " _I am rather tired; I believe I am going to lay down for a while._ " Pyrrha murmured.

Her voice sounded tired, with no small amount of pain attached.

"Good night Pyrrha." I replied, a yawn escaping me as well.

" _Good night Jaune._ " Her voice grew quiet as she laid down to sleep. A few minutes passed, and I almost jumped out of my skin when she spoke up again.

" _Thank you, Jaune, for everything._ " I heard tears break through her words, " _I was so... so cruel... even after everything you came searching for me._ " Her voice cut off as she stifled a sob.

I tried replying to her, but the connection felt closed. My words bounced off a wall with which I could neither see nor interact. For the moment, it was probably for the best. The woman I was slowly falling in love with is now bound to my soul. For better or worse we are going to be spending a lot of time together; best give her the space she needs now and talk with her later in more detail.

Returning to my self-assigned task, I opened up my player menu and began cycling through the new information.

The Aura menu has a simple layout, displaying my clothed form as a full 3D rotating model. Straight lines connected thickly lined boxes to four unique parts of my body. Head, torso, arms, and legs.

 **[** _Welcome to the Aura Menu!_ **]**

A warm red box sprang into existence, a popping noise playing with its introduction.

 **[** _This page allows the player to equip contracted **Companions** to a maximum of four different slots! An example **Companion** is equipped to demonstrate functionality!_ **]**

I saw Pyrrha's signet rotating in the box connected to my legs.

 **[** _Equipping **Companions** into different **Companion Sockets** offer unique abilities based on their positioning. For example, the currently equipped **Companion** will passively increase movement speed by ten percent per **Companion** level, increase base **Dexterity** score by one per **Companion** level, and grants the **Bulwark** feat._ **]**

 **[** Alternatively, e _quipping the same **Companion** in the head slot will instead offer a passive increase to vision-based perception checks, increase base **Wisdom** score by one per **Companion** level, and grants the **Tactician** feat. Experiment with unique combinations to determine which **Socket Set** best fits your needs!_ **]**

I returned Pyrrha's signet to the leg slot after experimenting with placement. Each zone had a theme based on the body parts it covered. Legs for mobility and athleticism, head for perception and general wisdom, arms for strength, and torso for constitution. A quick check showed that a majority of the functionality of this page was locked. I only had Pyrrha as a selectable companion at the moment; so I exited the page and moved on.

As I selected the next panel down, the Companion page this time, the tutorial box reappeared. It described the options for upgrading and leveling any Companions I gathered. In many ways, this upgrading system acted as a secondary version of my semblance; with each Companion having a unique scoring system and upgrade paths.

I did note one curious subject as I read through the instruction boxes.

 **[** _Alert! Pyrrha Nikos' current **Companion** level prevents her from being summoned to the material plane. _**]**

 **[** _Minimum Level for **Companion Summoning**_ : **Level 10 ]**

This page was different from the previous, having several greyed out slots bellow Pyrrha's, who is in full color. The box held a general description of Pyrrha's likes, dislikes, and characteristics in addition to her Companion stats. A tab on the side of her box named 'Upgrades' is also greyed out; meaning I would need to somehow level Pryhha separately before I could summon or upgrade her at all.

Closing the Companions section met me with the newly created Inventory page. A notification popup did not appear, but nothing of real intrigue to be found here either. I had access to store items up to my strength stat times one-hundred pounds. The size was not an issue either, as long as I could push-pull or lift the object in question, my inventory could store it.

The Map section held a similar feel along with Skills and Quests. Each task activated through intent, and all three only displayed static information. Only the Map allowed me to personalize or generally interact with anything, meaning I breezed through those three in no time.

Opening the Map, I found a much larger version of my mini-map with much more detail. After digging around through the settings, I added a depth monitor, day/night clock, and compass. Several key features like Ally / Enemy designations and Waypoints were already active, and I left them alone.

Yawning, I opened up Quests to find three sections: Completed, Ongoing, and Available. Each part is pretty standard-fair, as things went. I found the Saving the Remnants quest in the completed section along with the Fall of Beacon. Additionally, while I had no active quests, I did see three entries in the 'Available' category. For the moment they were all greyed out, so I guessed I would pick those up soon. The page is otherwise empty, so I enabled Active Quest Tracking and exited soon after.

My hand hovered over Skills for a moment before moving to Preferences. A second yawn escaped my mouth as my eyes tracked to the current time in the bottom left-hand corner of my HUD.

Dust, it was already two-thirty in the morning; Skills can wait for now. I knew that list would be lengthy, and I would need to read all of those, and I am in no proper state to go through those properly.

Preferences gave me a few HUD options, most of which I ignored or agreed too, and Stats read out my current player information. The Stats page was divided into three columns moving left to right: Stat, Base, and Effective

NAME: Jaune Arc

STR:11 (12)

CON:12 (13)

DEX:9 (11)

INT:8 (8)

WIS:13 (14)

CHR:12 (13)

LUC:10 (11)

My sluggishly exhausted brain attempted to understand how to calculate the Effective value. Looking across the board, it appeared to be a general ten percent increase rounded up; that would explain the eleven and twelve base strength and constitution both increased while my lower Int score remained.

My bonus from having my legs companion slot filled also explained the more substantial jump in Dex.

But none of it explained where the increase was coming from, what was modifying these scores, to begin with.

 **[** _ **Alert!** Using common logic and reasoning to work through a problem has increased your **INT** score by 1!_ **]**

I facepalmed after watching the alert close.

Really? That's all it took?

I exited the Stas page and closed to the main menu, allowing my eyes to relax after going through _everything_.

While most of what I learned was valuable, a lot of it went into unnecessary detail at times. My Int score was accurate; learning and memory have never been my strong suit.

Looking back, the only thing I have ever excelled at is messing things up. Pyrrha would never have died if I hadn't turned my back. She would never have had to fight Cinder. Professor Ozpin wouldn't have ...

No.

I don't know for sure what would have happened, and I never will. Loathing and self-doubt will get me nowhere but dead. Again.

It's time I picked my head up and prepared for what comes next.

Nodding, and my self-faith restored, I relaxed my body and prepared to go to sleep.

I never saw the notification box alerting me to an outside presence entering my mind. Not until the next day at least.


	5. 4

**[** ** _Alert!_** **Author Note found at the End of Chapter! ]**

 **Previously on Those Who are Called: Path of the Paladin**

I exited and closed to the main menu, and let my eyes relax after reading all that stuff.

While everything I learned was valuable, a lot of it went into unnecessary detail at times; and my Int score was accurate on that page; learning and memory have never been my strong suit.

Looking back, the only thing I have ever excelled at is messing things up. Pyrrha would never have died if I hadn't turned my back. She would never have had to fight Cinder. Professor Ozpin wouldn't have ...

No.

I don't know for sure what would have happened, and I never will. Loathing and self-doubt will get me nowhere but dead. Again.

It's time I picked my head up and prepared for what comes next.

Nodding, and my self-faith restored, I relaxed my body and prepared to go to sleep.

I never saw the notification box alerting me to an outside presence entering my mind. Not until the next day at least.

 **[ The Vault Under the School ]**

"Three days, three fucking days of wandering through this dust forsaken maze."

Raven Branwen.

Is not having a good day.

Really it has been a horrible series of days, specifically ever since she began seeking the Relic. The object in question is stored in the darkest pits of a man-made labyrinth; twisting and turning in every direction possible. Worse yet, Raven couldn't just turn around and leave; entering the maze teleported the individual to a small pocket dimension that prevented exiting. The options for this moment only included finding the dust damned thing and using it to escape this metallic hell hole.

Did she mention it was entirely made of metal? Well, it is. She took her high-heels off days ago; the high pitched echo gave her a massive reverberating headache.

Raven cleared her throat and threw her voice out to sound like Ozpin, "'We are increasing the security surrounding the Relic. Recent increases in Grim...' Bla blah blah..."

Raven growled as she split another gear golem in half. Her blade, green for the time, sparked in streaks of empowered lightning as bolts of pure energy reflected from wall to wall. An explosion of iron cogs and gears erupted from the darkened corner beside her; showering her pink aura in bouncing shrapnel.

Initially, the Relic was just held in a secret and secure location on Beacon campus. This plan had been sufficient for a millennium. Suddenly one day, Ozpin grew antsy about the Relic of Choice's safety. He stated that each relic would receive an upgrade to their security features. The Choice Relic had a labyrinth implemented, the ultimate representation of how an individual's choice effects them.

Oh, also the gear golems.

Dust damned gear golems.

Some time passes before the twisting metallic hall eventually opens up to reveal a round oak door, the hinges unseen from Raven's eyes. A smooth golden handle glistened from sourceless light, inviting her to discover what it hides. Raven raised one beautiful curved eyebrow behind her bone white mask before twisting the knob to open. The door creaked in angered resistance as a warm and comforting light exploded into the metallic hallway.

"Oh, dear." A calm and feminine voice echoed from beyond the portal, "it appears that we have a guest. Summer my dear, please put the kettle on."

The passageway revealed a small wooden interior, comforting and cozy. Where no windows are present, large tapestries hung from wall to wall, with thickly carpeted rugs lining the floor. A second floor stood supported by a tree limb growing into the room and covered half of the one room cottage.

"My my, dear Raven, what brings you knocking on our bedroom door?" The voice revealed itself to be an aging woman. She stood tall, a proper six feet in white and purple robes. Deep blue satin filigree clung to her in ways that Gravity would grumble about; her elegance in posture stood clear.

Her face holds many similarities to Glynda Goodwitch, yet differs in the hairstyle and color. Where Glynda held her hair up, this woman's flowed in cascading rivers of strawberry gold.

Raven stopped mid-step, as the second figure revealed themselves.

Summer Rose was rarely without her hood; her fair skin would not allow the sun to kiss it long without burning. It is also the reason she looked completely different without it.

Her hair had undoubtedly grown in the years interim. The crimson red streaks flowed down in a low hanging ponytail that tapered off at the small of her back. Her white button-up top was tucked into her dark near black and red skirt. Black full leg socks tucked into knee-high boots and disappeared where her skirt hem wavered in an invisible breeze.

"R-Raven?" her voice sounded similar to her daughters' but softly deeper with a smoother and more mature tone. She dropped a plate of muffin looking brownies, the sheer shock of seeing her previous mate freezing her system.

The cottage grew quiet as the three woman had a momentary standoff.

"Summer, its good to see you," Raven spoke in a calm and collected manner. While she displayed and sounded like a composed and imposing figure, the knowledge that Summer is very much alive did something to Raven's psyche that she could not have prepared for.

In the long forgotten past, news of Summer's disappearance had hit the Branwen, Rose, and Xiao Long family very hard. Where Tai had a near mental breakdown, Raven and Qrow pulled back into their own psychological defenses. Raven left soon after to reform a new family, a decision she regretted to this day.

"Summer, the tea please."

Summer blundered for a moment as she came back to reality, "Right, the tea." She moved to grab the tea kettle, stepping on one of her dropped sweets.

"Aww," she cried, "My buffins..."

The second figure cleared her throat, laying a smoldering glare towards the sulking rose. The Crimson Rose eep'ed and ran through a now visible door leading to the back of the small wooden cottage.

The room grew silent as Raven fully entered and closed the door behind her.

"Please, take a seat," the new woman gestured to a plush brown couch pushed into the closest corner. "It will take a few minutes for Summer to prepare the tea."

Raven unhitched her sword from her side and held it horizontally in her lap as she was near consumed by the comforting sofa. It was the type of furniture that would wholly absorb someone into the plushy folds, and not a soul would know.

The masked woman used her taught legs to keep from sinking too deep, pressing against the space where the floor and couch met. A covered laugh escaped the strawberry blonde's mouth; Raven's effort to not being eaten quite visible.

The hostess sighed, taking a seat of her own across from Raven.

"I am sure you have many questions, and that will come in ti-"

Raven bristled, and interrupted," I do not have the time to listen to your stories. Who are you? Why are you in Oz's maze? Why is Summer here? Where is the Relic?"

A moment passed.

"And why do you look like Glynda Goodwitch?" Raven finished her barrage of questions and giving up the ghost, sunk deeply into the plush red couch.

"Well, in order." the figure smirk, seeing how Raven is properly eaten, "My name is Galiena Goodwitch. I am in this maze to defend the Relic. Summer is here for the same purpose. And none of your business. "

A second pause filled the room,

"And I am Glynda's mother."

Summer chose this time to return to the common room, "Tea's ready~." Her sing-song voice died off as she noticed the tension in the room. "Did I miss something?"

Raven turned to the new intruder, "Only the previous twelve years of your daughters' life."

Silence.

The situation would have escalated to a fight, as them's fightin' words.

Had Raven not wholly sunken into the couch and away from view.

A moment passed, and the tension was released when Summer broke out in laughter. The scene would not have been so hysterical had Raven's dust sword not be sticking out of the couch comically. You could see where Raven was struggling, attempting to escape the suffocating death trap. Summer carefully sat the tea down, lest she drop the precious cups, and started the process of extricating her previous co-wife from the death couch.

 **[ With Jaune ]**

First person nightmares plagued my dreams once I fell asleep. In a series of nonsensical flashes, images depicting the gruesome death of all my friends played in glorious slow motion. It was harrowing, realizing that I could do nothing to stop the Grimm from tearing them limb from limb.

I watched Pyrrha die again.

I stood stock image still, unmoving and unable to when I tried.

"It isn't real Jaune." a familiar voice echoed from behind me. I recognized it as Pyrrha but didn't turn to see her. Instead, I watched as an Ursa Major ripped Nora in half and feasted on her insides. Ren followed soon after. My red-headed companion took several steps to be right in front of me; generally blocking my view of the graphic detail.

"Jaune, it's just a dream. Wake up!" at this point she was three inches in front of me, shaking my frozen form. It took a moment, but I did snap out of my paralytic stupor. The short paralyzation passed, and I immediately fell limp to the cold black floor. Pyrrha fell with me, surprised by my weight. We landed in a scrapheap, a tangle of limbs and hair on the cold void floor.

As we gathered ourselves, my breathing picked up the pace as I mostly came back to consciousness. I had felt trapped in my own body, unable to move or even breathe. Now my body was beginning to hyperventilate, attempting to make up for lost time. My vision started to swim, and I could feel the consciousness leaving me once more as my world began to tilt.

Pyrrha lept and caught me as my world almost faded to black, "Jaune! None of this is real! You don't have lungs here!"

I didn't respond; I couldn't. Oxygen leaked from my mouth in dying whisps. Moving to straddle me, Pyrrha leaned over and, with a steady, firm hand, slapped my face.

Hard.

The new shock caused my system to freeze, my breathing regulated, my pupils, dilated. My panic attack stopped. We stayed like this for a while, a mess of body parts and heavy breathing.

"I'm sorry, but you ... you weren't breathing." Her form fell limp on top of me, pressing my body into the cold ground below me; and now I couldn't breathe for a different reason.

"Pyrrha, _air_ ~!" I wheezed out, my face turning blue.

A look of confusion passed over the redhead's visage before she epp'ed out an apology and shifted from on top of me. Sweet, sweet oxygen filled my lungs once more.

The world changed around us, endless black turning to oak boards. Our beds appeared as the dorm room finished its mock construction. My breathing stabilized as we rose to our feet, and leaning on the bedpost; I heard a new popup appear.

 **[ _Alert!_ Visions of the Future ( 1 / ? ) **completed! **]**

 **[** New **Journal** entry added: **Divine Visions! ]**

 **[** Would you like to open this Journal Entry now? **]**

 **[** Yes **/** No **]**

I stared at the alert window, Pyrrha joining me to read. Where before my popups had been shades of blue and green; here a pale yellow hue tinted my view.

"Wait, so this was more than just a bad dream?" My vision hovered over yes, and my Player Journal opened.

 **[** **Player Skill: Divine Visions ]**

 **[** A series of dreams both nightmare and fantasy, will plague the player at random times of unconsciousness. These dreams offer the potential consequences for actions made during **Points of Interest** **]**

 **[** A **Journal** entry has been created for **Points of Interest ]**

A moment of silence followed after the alert closed; Pyrrha and I sat on opposite sides of Nora's bed.

"Based on the wording, " she said, twisting around to see me, " Your first Point of Interest already happened." She poked the air in front of her before a player interface opened. I sat in surprised silence as Pyrrha masterfully navigated through her version of my player menus, and finding the player journal, noted the new Point of Interest.

"Yes, it does appear that~."

"How long have you I access to my semblance?" I interrupted, surprise written on my face.

Pyrrha turned to face me, "My first alert was waiting for me when I woke up here. Although, based on what I've seen, our information is very different." She grabbed the corner of her alert window and flipped it around for me to see. Her base screen looked very different from mine.

 **[ Companion - Pyrrha Nikos - Level 4 ]**

 **[ Journal ]**

 **[ Equipment ]**

 **[ - - - ]**

 **[ Options ]**

 **[ - - - ]**

Two of her options were greyed out, but other than that, the format looked similar. She pulled the display back to her side and began scanning through the PoI.

It made sense that my companions would have similar versions of my Semblance; they are part of me after all. A moment of jealousy washed over my mind but faded just as quickly. I didn't have time to be jealous, especially for something I already had and was given to one of my friends.

Especially Pyrrha.

It was around this time I took notice of our location. The room surrounding us looked exactly like our old dorm room. Everything was here, from our beds to a few of the cooking supplies Ren left behind. But as I took a closer look, I noticed the small differences; I saw that the writing was all wrong with the air unmoving.

"Where are we? This looks like the dorm but ..."

"Something's just a little off, and it's like this all the time. We don't weigh anything either. " Pyrrha paused, looking around for the moment, "I don't know if time works the same either." I saw a grey glow surround her right hand as she pointed towards the metal bars; where I expected the bed to shift and float, nothing happened.

"I haven't had access to my semblance either. It is strange, I can feel the connection made, but nothing ever happens."

As Pyrrha let her hand fall back to her lap, I splayed across the bed; my body felt stiff as the light cotton gave no resistance. I was immediately reminded that this was not my real dorm.

"It has been like this ... this fake place for as long as I have been here. No morning birds, no loud Nora, no quiet Ren. Its ... horrible." Pyrrha near folded into herself as the room fell into a cold silence.

"Don't leave. Please, I ... I can't be alone right now." Pyrrha's broken voice echoed in the hollow room.

Standing up, I walked to the redhead's side; sitting down next to her, I pulled her close in my arms. I began stroking the mane of hair flowing down her back, comforting her as best I could. I ignored the wet tears on my shirt, rivers of sadness streaming down her face.

We stayed there, together, till the sun rose the next day.

 **[ Alert! Author's Note available! ]**

 **[ Would you like to open now? ]**

 **[ Hello, all. My apologies for the delay in this upload. This chapter has seen three re-writes and looks almost nothing like what I initially inked out. Believe it or not, I have written out where this story is going, so we know what's next. Amidst massive life changes and depression fueled writer's block, this chapter wound up being slower than I expected. ]**

 **[ Either way, you can expect faster update times moving forward. ]**

 **[BONUS: RWBY Mini!]**

Ruby Rose is having a bad day.

" _Daaaad!_ I'm fine now. It has been three whole days since I woke up, and I haven't been able to go outside! Three days I say!"

Since waking from her coma, Taiyang had kept his youngest under house arrest. Ruby sat now in the living room decked out in her 'combat pajamas.' Her pale sulking form contrasting with the black and red poke-a-dot onesie.

Taiyang stood in the doorway leading into the country home's kitchen holding a comically large sandwich in one hand. "Yea, it has been three whole days hasn't it." He said before chomping down on the meat and bread monstrosity. While there was one layer of tomatoes and one whole lettuce leaf; the ratio of meat and cheese to veggies was seven to one on the four-inch-tall sandwich.

"And what did I…" he stops to swallow. "And what did I say you could do four days ago?"

Ruby scrunched up her face for a moment in deep thought. If you listened close enough, you could hear the cogs and flower themed wheels grinding.

"'You can play with Cresent Rose outside in three days.'" But that was only two days ago! There is one more day still!" she said sulking again.

Taiyang blinked, and for a moment held some genuine concern for his rose themed prodigy. "Hey Rubes," he said while windmill slamming another bite, "You can be pretty oblivious sometimes."

A look of hurt flashed across Ruby's face, "I am not..." she stopped, and a lightbulb flashed above her. "It's been three days!" She exploded from the sofa and was dressed entirely in her combat skirt in between one of Taiyang's chews.

The Yellow Boxer swallowed and made a rolling laugh, making sure to do so in that order less he lose his precious sandwich bite.


End file.
